‘Closer to the Market’: EU Research Governance and Symbolic Power

Adding to vital debates in EU Studies about the executive power of European governance, this article analyses influence research funding social sciences. The standardization and enforcement norms, principles, language codes, we argue, play a crucial role governance. Applying mixed-method approach, show that mastery ‘EU game’ does more than help scholars obtain funding; it also generates individual disciplinary frictions, since requires subtle re-orientation social-scientific towards political goals. Our study sheds light on strategies used by scientists who find themselves enmeshed game, from euphoric adaptation reluctant lip service. Since these academic out relative autonomy liberal explicit focus market integration is accompanied less interest matters representation identity formation.